King Lear's Girls
by Kristina484
Summary: This is a fan fiction depiction of King Lear's three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia's diary entries. Each differing in the way they feel about the king. I decided to write this because King Lear didn't really emphasize the way the women felt outside of their roles in the play. It focused a lot more on the male roles and the way the king felt and thought then it did his dau
1. Chapter 1

Princess Cordelias diary entries

Dear Diary,

Today is the day my father wants to divide his kingdom between my two sisters and me. No doubt he will want us to make some grand proclamation of love and devotion for him. No doubt my sisters will go above and beyond with their compliments and proclamations. No doubt that is exactly what father wants. But not me diary, I will not belittle myself by making grand gestures of love and admiration in front of fathers friends. I am above that, above the silly games and tricks my sisters use to gain our fathers trust and love. I doubt my sisters even truly love him. All they care about is money and power. I love our father, as every daughter should. I care for him and only want the best for him, but I fear his age is catching up to him and it is only a matter of time before his judgment becomes skewed as well. I fear I am the only one who truly loves and cares for him, but I will also be the first one he looses trust in. I pray it is not so. I will write tonight of the outcome of my fathers decision about the kingdom.

All my love, Cordelia

Good Evening Diary,

It has not been a very good evening for me. As you can imagine everything I wrote to you earlier came true. My fears answered. All because I refused to fake praise my father like my sisters did. I swear I should be one of father's fortunetellers with how well I saw this outcome coming. Let me tell you exactly what happened:

Father: "and you my darling Cordelia, tell me how does your love compare to that of your sisters?"

Me: "nothing"

Father: "nothing?"

Me: "nothing."

Father: "nothing will come of nothing, speak again!"

Me: "I love you father as every daughter should love their father, if I claimed to love you as much as my sisters claim then I wouldn't even need to look for a husband."

At that you can imagine, he becomes outraged, ranting and raving about how I am disloyal and how he has given me so much and I have no heart. A family friend, Kent, tries to intervene and bring my father to reason, but even he cannot make my father listen. He is so angry he bands Kent from our castle, and castes me aside to my suitors saying I am worthless and telling one of them to just take me. Can you fathom the heartache I felt in that moment? My own father casting me aside like a servant he no longer needs around. I am now beetroved to the king of France. I barely get to say goodbye to my good for nothing sisters. As I am being ushered away by my now soon to be husband I try and give my father warnings of what is to come of my sisters reign, by throwing in slight comments about how they don't truly love him and how they are blinded by my fathers riches and power to truly see what is best for him and the kingdom. I don't know how this could have a good outcome, but I am hopeful for the best. I have to remain hopeful or I fear I will sink into the despair I feel over loosing my father and my kingdom.

Talk again soon, Cordelia.

Dear Diary,

Being married to a person whom you had no choice in marrying is about as great as you can imagine. At least he isn't cruel. He's been kind since I've been here in my new "home" which is probably more than I deserve with the way I've been treating him and his servants. It's not that I don't like him diary he's a fine man, but I don't want to be here. I don't want to be married; I don't want to live in his castle. I want to be back home with my father and my sisters, no matter how awful they may be or how badly they've treated me. I want to rule my kingdom and make it prosper! Why doesn't anybody understand that! I just want what is best. No one cares diary, that's just it nobody cares about the person who has the good intentions. Well that is enough wallowing for now. I will talk to you again soon.

Hopeful, Cordelia

Dear Diary,

Something isn't right; I feel it in my heart. I know my sisters are planning something, they must be trying to harm father. I won't have it. I don't care what I have to do I will help him. I will not let them destroy the only good thing I know. I don't care how many armies or how many men. I will help you father. I swear by it.

Until then, Cordelia


	2. Chapter 2

Diary of Regan:

Dear Diary My Dear,

It is with great joy that I can tell you that today is the day that father will decide to divide his kingdom among me and my sisters. I know all I have to do is stay on his good side praising his every breath and the kingdom will be mine! Just between you and me I don't care for father one bit. We all know cordelia is his favorite. Why she is, is beside me. She barely even praises him like I do. She acts like she can't be bothered. That girl shouldn't even be considered for a part of this kingdom. Come to think of it neither should Goneril. She can't even make her fake praises seem believable. I am obviously the most competent to rule this kingdom. Anyway I will write you later tonight.

Until then, Regan

Dear Diary My Dear,

This is the best night of my life! Not only has father given me half of the kingdom, he has band Cordelia. His wonderful beloved cordelia. My "perfect" sister. AHA! Not a better outcome could I have wished for! Now I do realize there are flaws still. Since I do have to still share half of the kingdom with my other sister Goneril, but there is no time to worry about that because I have the power over half my kingdom. Father doesn't even know that my praises were false. That I was just appealing to his greedy nature. He is more of a fool than Cordelia is. Cordelia stood by her objections never once questioning her actions, she was true of heart. But father he is so blinded by his own needs that he couldn't even see that Goneril and I have fooled him into thinking we care so highly for him. Oh what a perfect night Diary. I could not wish for anything better!

All my happiness, Regan

Dear Diary My Dearest,

Father thinks either Goneril or I will house him that is absurd. How crazy would we be to house a man we want destroyed? Especially since he has his army with him. On another note Edmund is looking quite lovely this evening. I know I am a married woman but if anything every happened to my good for nothing husband Cornwall. I would definitely have Edmund take his place. I would gladly have Edmund take his place actually. Now that I think of it maybe there is a way to destroy my husband as well as my father. Hopefully I haven't said too much. I have things to think about. Talk to you soon.

Love, Regan


	3. Chapter 3

Goneril's Diary Entries:

Hello Diary,

Today is the day I have been waiting for, planning for, practicing in the mirror for. How can I fool father into thinking I love him more than my sisters? Well I'm glad you asked because I will fool him by thinking I not only love him more than my sisters but I love him more than anything in this entire world. Can you imagine! He's going to be ecstatic. He won't even question my loyalty or my motives. He will take my proclamations to heart and not even think I could be planning his ruin. AHHH being an evil genius is hard some days diary, but not today! Today is the day that it all pays off. I will talk to you soon.

Love, Goneril

Dear Diary,

Oh wow, where to begin. First of all I got half of the kingdom obviously. I didn't do all of that work for nothing. Father was impressed by my devotion and enamored with my love for him. But the best part of the entire thing is that father banned that good for nothing sister of mine, Cordelia. She refused to declare love for him in the same ways Regan and I did. Can you believe it? I knew she was loyal, but I didn't know she was that dumb. Poor silly naive baby sister. It's for the best though really. Now I won't have to kill her for her part of the kingdom. Unfortunately Regan is still around. That won't be for long though. I have plans for her. I shouldn't mention to many of them in this entry incase you are ever discovered dear diary of mine. But lets just say she won't be praising father with her every breath anymore because she won't have any breath to praise him with. This kingdom will be mine, and I will rule with unquestioning power.

Future Ruler, Goneril

Dear Diary,

Oh dear dear diary. Can you imagine my father coming to my house in the middle of the night in the pouring rain trying to get me to let him stay in my house with his army of men. I knew my father was going crazy, but I didn't know he was a full-blown mad man. Then again I guess I could use this to my advantage. Let him in, tell him his men have to find somewhere else to stay and take care of his nuisance self my self! I mean what kind of daughter would I be if I didn't let my cold, wet, and tired father sleep in my gigantic castle. I have things to think about. But on another note Edmund has been around a lot lately and I don't know why I felt like mentioning that other than to say I find myself staring at him a lot. He is a handsome man, smart too. Oh anyway I must get to thinking about how to "help" my father. Another time diary.

Love, Goneril


End file.
